Dr. Martin Luther King

Hopefully most of you have today off from work, as we celebrate the memory and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The names of Jackie Robinson and Dr. King go hand in hand, but I was floored a couple years ago when Don Newcombe told me a story about him and Dr. King.

One night in 1968, only a few months before he was murdered, Dr. King was having dinner with Don Newcombe and he told him how much easier his job was because of the success of Jackie, Newk and Roy Campanella. The story is retold in the book "How to Be Like Jackie Robinson," with an exceprt found here.

Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, take a moment to think about how your life and the lives of others have been affected by Dr. King and everyone involved in the civil rights movement.

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When I was growing up I believe the first “hero” I had was Gene Autry, then Roy Rodgers, then Joe Louis, than Jackie Robinson. I never felt differently rooting for someone who was of a differnt race. When I was in the service, I remember, sort of idealizing, over a black sergeant. I thought he was real cool, so to speak. I just thought he was quite a guy. I was sort of glad to know him. By the time Martin Luther King arrived on the scene I have to admit, that I was actually suprised that he was having such a rough time of it. I couldn’t believe that by the 1960’s we were still having racial problems. He deserved a lot of credit to do the things he did. I often wonder if he knew how dangerous it was.

I’m grateful for the efforts and achievments of Dr. King and Jackie Robinson. I consistently rate them among the five greatest Americans of all time, based on the fact that they both had to deal with the scathing racism of narrow-minded people, all while having to toe a line that, if crossed, could have set race relations back decades. They changed life not only for their own race, but for all Americans who were discriminated against.

But the bigger threat to civil rights was, according to Dr. King, the silence of moderate Christians as people of color were treated like fourth-class citizens. When incarcerated in the Birmingham jail after a non-violent demonstration, eight clergymen made a statement that the battle for desegregation should be fought in the courts (yeah, I got this part from wikipedia). Dr. King’s response to this was one of the most inspiring pieces of literature I’ve ever come across.

“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was ‘well timed’ in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation.

For years I have heard the word ‘Wait’. […]This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never’.”

“[…]We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation”.

Jackie Robinson has always been a great hero of mine (right now, his is the only Dodger jersey I own). Reading about the boos, the catcalls, the black cats being loosed on the field, the only thing that tempers the sick feeling in my stomach is the courageous manner in which Jackie handled his situation. From all accounts I’ve read, Jackie was definitely not a submissive personality.The way he had to hold his tongue and smile in the face of his oppressors must’ve taken an internal fortitude few have realized in this lifetime.

As I watched “The Jackie Robinson Story” last night, I remembered Rachael Robinson’s words on Jackie Robinson Day last year about how he was nowhere near as submissive as they portrayed him. I was irritated that in watching the movie from the time he was playing for Montreal onward (when I caught the film while flipping channels), he was always referred to as a “boy”. I didn’t once hear him referred to as a “man”. Aside from that, I think it’s a great movie that gives us a glimpse of what it took for segregationist America to begin seeing people of color as equal human beings.

My goal in life is to never take my position in life as an equal American for granted, and to strive to measure up to that great Jackie Robinson quotation “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives”.

There is nothing that I can add what is already written about what Dr. King and Mr. Robinson did and represent. I think it is worth reminding people what an outstanding and accomplished woman Mrs. Rachel Robinson is; she is truly someone to be emulated.

On the Dodger Rose Parade float, Kathy Robinson Young, niece of Jackie Robinson, represented the Robinson family. (Mrs. Robinson is 85 years old, perhaps she felt the parade would be too taxing.)

swood, as an avid reader of that blog, I think you are exaggerating the response and you are possibly missing the point. The response was essentially that middle relievers are a bit of a **** shoot and that the Dodgers perhaps got lucky with Rudy in ’07. Check out his career, he’s all over the place, both in quality (ERA+, WHIP) and quantity (IP). The point is that there are a big group of relievers that are Seanez-like.

In any case, someone, maybe even the Dodgers, will be paying Rudy to be part of their bullpen this season. Better to sign a guy like Seanez in the spring than a shot reliever like Roberto Hernandez in July.

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